When organs are harvested for transplant, their blood supply is interrupted for various periods of time and they become ischemic organs and at normal physiologic temperatures, rapid cell death occurs (ischemic injury). In the transplant field, the standard for harvested organ preservation has been cold storage (called cold ischemic storage). Preserving the harvested organ at sub-physiologic temperature reduces cellular metabolism and slows the rate of organ cell death. The organ is generally perfused with and often immersed in solutions in an effort to further reduce damage to the cells.
Unfortunately, cold ischemic storage does not completely preserve organs and prevent ischemic injury. The three most critical problems associated with cold ischemic storage include the narrow window of time allowed for safe transport, the potential for organ damage even if the transport occurs within safe time limits, and the inability to test the organ for function after harvest, storage and transport. Although cold ischemic storage helps reduce the extent of ischemic injury, damage does occur and the more time that elapses, the more damage that occurs. And, if too much time elapses, the organ will become unusable. Even when an organ can be transplanted within the narrow time frame allotted for safe storage, the organ invariably suffers some degree of ischemic injury, which can contribute to sub-optimal outcomes in the recipient. Because transplant organs are preserved in a “non-functioning” state during cold ischemic storage they cannot be further evaluated to determine the functional status. Thus, it is virtually impossible to determine if the organ is suitable for transplant.
Clearly, a need exists for compositions and methods for storing harvested organs that can modulate, reduce or even prevent ischemic damage so that the organ remains useful and suitable for transplant. It is the object of the subject invention to provide such compositions and methods. In addition, many organs and tissues become ischemic as the result of injury, disease, surgery, etc. The methods and compositions of the invention are suitable for preventing, modulating, reducing, treating or ameliorating ischemic injury and increasing recovery from such injury in these tissues and organs, as well.